Free weights familiar in this field of invention, such as kettlebells, dumbbells, and straight bars combined with weighted plates, generally provide only a very limited number of gripping options for a user engaged in strength-building exercises. A user can benefit, however, from gripping the free weights in a variety of different ways while exercising. These grip changes allow a user to lift the free weights in different ways to exercise a wider variety of muscle groups. Additionally, most free weights that can be used without a straight bar do not allow the option of being used in combination with a straight bar.